Football Policing

Home Affairs Committee Open Non-inquiry session
Opened: 26 Nov 2025 Parliament page
The Committee will be hearing from West Midlands Police and the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner about the decision-making process that led to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans being prevented from attending the fixture against Aston Villa in November 2025. The session will explore the intelligence that informed the decision, … Read more
5 Recommendations
10 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
21 Letters
2 Events
Activity timeline 27 events
29 Apr
2026
Report published
3 Mar
2026
Correspondence
22 Feb
2026
Report published
10 Feb
2026
Correspondence
10 Feb
2026
Correspondence
10 Feb
2026
Correspondence
29 Jan
2026
Correspondence
29 Jan
2026
Correspondence
21 Jan
2026
Correspondence
20 Jan
2026
Correspondence
20 Jan
2026
Correspondence
20 Jan
2026
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
6 Jan 2026
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Anthony Cox · Birmingham City Council Chief Constable Mark Roberts · UK Football Policing Unit Councillor John Cotton · Birmingham City Council Craig Guildford · West Midlands Police Mick Wilkinson · West Midlands Police Mike O’Hara · West Midlands Police Richard Brooks · Birmingham City Council
1 Dec 2025
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Craig Guildford · West Midlands Police Lord Mann, Independent Adviser on Antisemitism Mike O’Hara · West Midlands Police Richard Clarke · Home Office Sarah Jones MP · Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Simon Foster · West Midlands Police
Title HC No. Published Items Response
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban HC 1553 22 Feb 2026 15 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
15 results
1 Conclusion Not Addressed
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
The interim report of Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, concluded that...
The interim report of Sir Andy Cooke, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, concluded that West Midlands Police had been subject to “confirmation bias” in their assessment of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. We agree with this judgment; our inquiry has … Read more
Government Response
The government response discusses Safety Advisory Groups and a review of their guidance, but it does not address the conclusion regarding West Midlands Police's actions and confirmation bias in relation to Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.
Home Office
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2 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
West Midlands Police failed to engage directly with the Birmingham Jewish community early enough in...
West Midlands Police failed to engage directly with the Birmingham Jewish community early enough in relation to this fixture. As a result, West Midlands Police limited their access to information that might challenge their narrative about Maccabi Tel Aviv fans … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's concern regarding the perception of undue influence from elected politicians and agrees that Safety Advisory Group membership should be grounded in operational, regulatory, and technical expertise; this aligns with work already underway by the UK Resilience Academy review of Safety Advisory Group guidance.
Home Office
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3 Recommendation Not Addressed
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
The next permanent Chief Constable of West Midlands Police should continue the work to rebuild...
The next permanent Chief Constable of West Midlands Police should continue the work to rebuild trust with the Jewish community as a priority. (Recommendation, Paragraph 18)
Government Response
The government response discusses Safety Advisory Groups and the designation of events with 'national significance' but fails to address the recommendation that the next Chief Constable of West Midlands Police should continue to rebuild trust with the Jewish community as a priority.
Home Office
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4 Conclusion Deferred
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
Given the damage caused to community relations by the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv...
Given the damage caused to community relations by the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, it is surprising and disappointing that Assistant Chief Constable O’Hara was not more precise in his remarks about whether Jewish representatives had supported the … Read more
Government Response
The government is considering a formal escalation mechanism for Safety Advisory Group recommendations but will wait for the UK Resilience Academy's review of Safety Advisory Group guidance and HMICFRS inspection before exploring the issue further.
Home Office
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5 Conclusion
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
Former Chief Constable Guildford was not informed ahead of giving oral evidence on 6 January...
Former Chief Constable Guildford was not informed ahead of giving oral evidence on 6 January that Microsoft Copilot AI had been used to generate the erroneous information about a match between West Ham and Maccabi Tel Aviv. On this basis … Read more
Home Office
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6 Recommendation Accepted
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
Promoting a culture of transparency and attention to detail should be a priority for both...
Promoting a culture of transparency and attention to detail should be a priority for both the Acting Chief Constable and next permanent Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to address. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25) 22 The role of the Safety Advisory … Read more
Government Response
Local authorities already have the discretion to determine Safety Advisory Group composition, and the UK Resilience Academy review of Safety Advisory Group guidance will set out its position on political involvement.
Home Office
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7 Conclusion Deferred
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
It is particularly surprising that firm challenge was not applied given the political sensitivity of...
It is particularly surprising that firm challenge was not applied given the political sensitivity of this decision. The Safety Advisory Group recognised this in asking West Midlands Police for a clearer recommendation and clearer justification to exclude away fans. However, … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the limitations of Safety Advisory Groups in politicized situations and is reviewing SAG guidance to ensure members can challenge effectively, but does not recommend introducing a formal escalation mechanism until cross-government partners and stakeholders fully explore the issues, informed by ongoing work.
Home Office
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8 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
The Cabinet Office’s review of guidance to Safety Advisory Groups should identify whether more guidance...
The Cabinet Office’s review of guidance to Safety Advisory Groups should identify whether more guidance is needed on the level of challenge that Safety Advisory Groups should be resourced to provide. The Government should also consider whether an escalation process … Read more
Government Response
The government is undertaking a review of Safety Advisory Group guidance but defers introducing a formal escalation mechanism until issues have been fully explored, including the designation of events of national significance; ongoing work will inform this consideration.
Home Office
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9 Conclusion Accepted
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
While we cannot conclude that the Safety Advisory Group’s decision was made because of political...
While we cannot conclude that the Safety Advisory Group’s decision was made because of political pressure, on the basis of the evidence we have seen we also cannot conclude with any confidence that the decision was not politically influenced. It … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that Safety Advisory Group membership should be grounded in expertise and states local authorities already have discretion over SAG composition, aligning with the UK Resilience Academy review of SAG guidance which will set out its position on political involvement.
Home Office
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10 Recommendation Accepted in Part
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
We recommend that the Government takes the necessary steps to ensure that elected politicians cannot...
We recommend that the Government takes the necessary steps to ensure that elected politicians cannot sit on Safety Advisory Groups. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35) 23 Response of the Home Office and Government
Government Response
The government agrees that the membership of Safety Advisory Groups should continue to be grounded in operational, regulatory and technical expertise, and the new guidance from the UK Resilience Academy will set out its position on political involvement given the expectation of impartiality of SAG members; however, it does not take steps to ensure that elected politicians cannot sit on the groups.
Home Office
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11 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
While the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was not involved in the Safety Advisory Group...
While the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) was not involved in the Safety Advisory Group process, and it is right that the principle of operational independence is respected, the West Midlands PCC appeared to prioritise defending the Chief Constable above … Read more
Government Response
The government notes the Police and Crime Commissioner's responsibility and subsequent scrutiny of the Chief Constable's actions, including seeking assurances on lessons identified.
Home Office
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12 Conclusion Deferred
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
The principle of police operational independence is an extremely important one, so it is right...
The principle of police operational independence is an extremely important one, so it is right that Ministers are cautious about intervening in police decision-making. However, by intervening only after the decision to ban away fans was taken, the Government increased … Read more
Government Response
The government is considering whether a formal designation mechanism could strengthen cross-government coordination for events that may present exceptional challenges but will await a HMICFRS report before finalising proposals or setting out next steps.
Home Office
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13 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
Given the international context and location of this fixture, it may have been proportionate to...
Given the international context and location of this fixture, it may have been proportionate to designate this fixture as one of national significance, had the recommendation of Baroness Casey been adopted. (Conclusion, Paragraph 48)
Government Response
The government acknowledges the need to examine whether national-level support and coordination could be improved for events with risks extending beyond the local footprint, and is developing options to test with stakeholders, but will await the HMICFRS report before finalizing proposals.
Home Office
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14 Recommendation Deferred
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
The Government should give serious consideration to the proposal to introduce a new category for...
The Government should give serious consideration to the proposal to introduce a new category for football matches of national significance, with a process for designation, to provide a stronger basis for intervention in the future. (Recommendation, Paragraph 49) 24 Conclusion Read more
Government Response
The government recognises the Committee's interest in designating events of national significance, but defers action pending the outcome of an HMICFRS report and further development of options to test with policing, local authorities, and event organisers.
Home Office
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
5th Report - Maccabi Tel Aviv fan …
This incident has caused serious damage to trust in West Midlands Police, particularly among the...
This incident has caused serious damage to trust in West Midlands Police, particularly among the local Jewish community, as well as to public confidence in the effectiveness of the force. Assistant Chief Constable O’Hara told us that there was no … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the West Midlands Police's actions to reassure the public and rebuild confidence, including engaging with community representatives, reviewing internal processes, and strengthening transparency, and will continue to work with partners to ensure lessons are embedded.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 14 of 5 classified
Accepted 2
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 5
Not Addressed 2
Total 5 recs + 10 conclusions
Correspondence 21 letters
3 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from the Acting Chief Constable of West Midlands Police relating to the Committee's report on Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban 23.02.2026
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10 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from Birmingham City Council relating to the Safety Advisory Group minutes on Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv 06.02.2026
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10 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from the Deputy Chief Constable of West Midlands Police in response to the Chair's letter of 29 Jan relating to Aston Villa vs Maccabi Tel Aviv 02.02.2026
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10 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from the Home Secretary following her appearance on 4th Feb relating to Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv 10.02.2026
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29 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the IOPC relating to the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans 19.01.2026
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29 Jan 2026 From committee Letter to the IOPC relating to the decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans 28.01.2026
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21 Jan 2026 Additional documents from Birmingham City Council relating to letter dated 12.01.2026 on Maccabi Tel Aviv Fixture
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20 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Chief Constable Craig Guildford of West Midlands Police, follow up to 6 January oral evidence session 15.01.2026
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20 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Birmingham City Council relating to the SAG meetings 12.01.2026
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20 Jan 2026 To committee Response from Amsterdam Police to letter from Dame Karen Bradley of 12 December relating to Aston Villa - Maccabi Tel Aviv
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14 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from the Chief Constable Craig Guildford following the Maccabi Tel Aviv session on 1 December and 6 January 2026
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6 Jan 2026 Birmingham City Council relating to the Safety Advisory Group minutes on Aston Villa - Maccabi Tel Aviv
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6 Jan 2026 UKFPU Peer Review relating to Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel-Aviv 05.01.2026
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6 Jan 2026 To committee Letter from Lord Mann relating to Aston Villa - Maccabi Tel Aviv 05.01.2026
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30 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Chief Constable Craig Guildford following the Maccabi Tel Aviv session on 1 December 19.12.2025
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30 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Director General for Public Safety and Safer Streets following the Maccabi Tel Aviv session on 1 December 18.12.2025
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30 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from Birmingham City Council following the Maccabi Tel Aviv session on 1 December 18.12.2025
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30 Dec 2025 To committee Letter from the Director UK Football Policing Unit following the Maccabi Tel Aviv session on 1 December 17.12.2025
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10 Dec 2025 From committee Letter to Birmingham City Council relating to Safety Advisory Group meetings regarding Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv 09.12.2025
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10 Dec 2025 From committee Letter to Michael Johnson, Director of the UK Football Policing Unit relating to UKFPU's involvement in preparations for Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa League match 09.12.2025
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10 Dec 2025 From committee Letter to Chief Constable Guildford, West Midlands Police following 1 December oral evidence session 09.12.2025
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